Featured Image Credit: MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, News, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, World News
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Donald Trump, News, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, World News
Donald Trump has given an update on how America's negotiations with Russia are going.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has been working with Russia and Ukraine in the hopes of ending the two countries' ongoing conflict after three years of war.
Trump already had a rapport with Russian president Vladimir Putin following his first term in office, and has been using this to hold negotiations with him and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's president.
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US officials held successful talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, and Middle East envoy and close Trump ally Steve Witkoff has since visited Putin in Russia as well.
There's been ongoing discourse between the three countries ever since, and now, Trump has given an update on where the negotiations are at.
"Tomorrow morning I will be speaking to President Putin concerning the War in Ukraine," he penned on TruthSocial yesterday (March 17).
"Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains. Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths, from both sides, and it must end NOW. I look very much forward to the call with President Putin."
One of Russia's biggest issues is the idea of Ukraine joining NATO — something which some European countries want for the Zelenskyy-led country.
With their grievances with NATO in mind, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has said that they will not let peacekeepers from NATO countries on Ukrainian soil 'under any condition'.
Deputy chair of the security council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev echoed similar sentiments and hit out at Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer specifically.
"Macron and Starmer are playing dumb," he tweeted on March 16.
"Time and again they are told that peacekeepers must be from non-NATO states. No, we will send tens of thousands – just lay it out – you want to give military aid to the neo-Nazis in Kiev. That means war with NATO. Consult with Trump, scumbags."
As it stands, there are 32 countries part of NATO, including France, Germany, the UK, and Spain.
Should Russia get its wishes and peacekeepers from a non-NATO country come into Ukraine, the troops will have to be from countries such as Austria, Serbia, Switzerland, Monaco, or Cyprus.
As to why Russia has issue with the idea of Ukraine becoming a part of NATO, it's said that Putin doesn't want NATO troops too close to Russia's borders.